New system saves agents time

Plantronics have announced a new integration of contextual intelligence from a call centre agent’s audio device and Cisco Finesse call centre management software, to ease contact centre agent workflow and boost productivity.

With the integration, agents using Cisco Finesse software can take advantage of contextual intelligence through aspects of their physical world, while they are wearing a Plantronics sensor-equipped headset.

To achieve this integration, Cisco has tapped into the Plantronics Spokes SDK (software developer’s kit) to enhance its Finesse platform and support a more natural way for agents to manage calls.

The software will know if and when an agent is wearing their Plantronics sensor-equipped headset, automatically logging them in when they are, and logging them out when they are not. Additionally, each agent’s headset has a serial number, which is linked to the Finesse database. When the headset is placed on the ear the agent is automatically put into the call queue. This is a direct advantage of contextual intelligence at work – eradicating the need to physically log in or out each time they move away from the computer for a break, resulting in immediate availability and speed. A call centre agent can spend up to eight minutes per day logging in and logging out of a system – this saves 30 hours over the average working year.

“Contact centre agents work in a very fast-paced, demanding environment. They need to move swiftly to answer calls and access information,” said Philip Vanhoutte, senior vice president and managing director Europe & Africa.

“Successful communications with each caller is everything and we believe our integration with Cisco Finesse will have a real impact on contact centre agents’ daily conversations.”